Turkish Basketball: Playoff fever sees tight clashes

ANKARA 

It has been six days since the Turkish Basketball League Spor Toto Playoffs began, and there have been already three series with intense basketball.

Fenerbahce Ulker, Anadolu Efes, Darussafaka Dogus, Pinar Karsiyaka, Banvit, Trabzonspor Medical Park, Turk Telekom and Galatasaray Liv Hospital were able to book their tickets for the playoffs after 30 regular season games. 

Top seeded Fenerbahce Ulker, who became the first Turkish team to play in the Final Four since 2001 and finished fourth there, matched up with the eight-seed Galatasaray Liv Hospital in the first round of the playoffs. 

Favorites of the best-of-three series, Fenerbahce Ulker dominated the first match 93-67 in their home court.

However, on the brink of elimination, Galatasaray Liv Hospital did not quit and won the second game at their home 70-69 in overtime.

The third and deciding game of the series will be played on May 27 at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce Ulker re-signed with their head coach Zeljko Obradovic for two more years, until the end of the 2016-2017 season, a statement from the basketball club said Monday.

Another first-round playoffs series has been ongoing between the fourth-seed Pinar Karsiyaka and fifth-seed Banvit.

Able to collect 19 wins in the regular season, Pinar Karsiyaka won a hard-fought first match against Banvit, 87-79, to lead the series 1-0. 

However, things did not go smoothly for Pinar Karsiyaka in the second game, as Banvit were able to defeat them 70-66 to even the series at one. 

Both teams will look to clinch a semi-final berth in the final game of the series, which will be played on May 27 at 6:45 p.m. (1545 GMT).

Winner of the Pinar Karsiyaka - Banvit series will play the winner of Fenerbahce Ulker - Galatasaray Liv Hospital match-up.

The third seeded Darussafaka Dogus drew with the sixth-seed Trabzonspor Medical Park in the first round, as the favorites Darussafaka saw themselves eliminated after two games.

Trabzonspor Medical Park were able to snatch a win at Darussafaka's court in the first game, 79-76, after a double overtime thriller.

Playing the second game at home, Trabzonspor showed no mercy to Darussafaka once again and won the match 78-71 to book themselves a semi-final ticket for the first time ever.

As Trabzonspor Medical Park are waiting for their opponent, second-seeded Anadolu Efes and seventh-seeded Turk Telekom have been battling fiercely to see Trabzonspor in the semi-final.

Anadolu Efes, who defeated Turk Telekom 88-71 in the first game of the series, were appalled in the second match as Turk Telekom beat them 88-83. 

The deciding game will played on May 26, Tuesday at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Anadolu Efes' court.